Where will you go?

In life's journey we are all moving to somewhere - even if we are simply being pushed by time. If we are not just existing then presumably we are headed in some direction. This by its very nature means leaving things behind, by choosing to walk towards something else. This is the very nature of repentance. There are so many roads we might take. However, none of them leads to the good life that never ends. None that is, except the road that leads to Christ. What does it mean to you to follow Christ and walk with Him? I think I'll be forever indebted to Bill Hogan for this statement. "If you are not stretching you are not growing. If you are not growing you are not living. If you are not living you are just existing." Are you content to just exist? Are you content to just go through the motions at work or at church? Or, are you ready to start stretching towards Christ? It's time to leave behind all of those things you love that hurt you so much. It's time to reach out to God who has plans for you to prosper you and bring you peace.

Metaphores

There are a lot of metaphors for learning to be a "mature Christian." I've heard "iron sharpens iron." The apostle Paul refers to it as "running the race," "putting on the whole armor of God," "straining forward to what lies ahead," and of course the metaphors of a soldier and an athlete. However, the image I like best refers to simply walking with God, and it is the one that runs throughout the bible. Enoch was the first man to never die and the reason he didn't die is because he walked with God. The disciples walked everywhere with Jesus, and learned from him as they went. It was while walking with two disciples on the way to Emmaus that Jesus explained how God had been working to save the world since the fall through Abraham, Moses, all the covenants and the prophets, and is still working to save the world through Jesus Christ. You can learn a lot about someone by just taking a walk. Perhaps today is a good day to take a walk with someone you love. Perhaps today is a good day to take a walk with God.

Practice Until You Die

I just stumbled across this blog post when I was just about to get up to tune my guitar for class. It's funny there are so many musical references in it when I'm about to start something new. What is really wierd is how much it pertains to my devotion from this morning. If we want to walk with God and do it well, we have to practice. It's not about earning our way through the pearly gates. It's about learning to do it better.

Check out this article by Brandon Dayton.
I found the article by looking at this blog by Jake Parker.

Let's Take A Walk

When the children of Israel passed through the Red Sea it was a lot like a massive baptism. On the one side of the Red Sea lay slavery and death at the hands of the Egyptians. On the other side of the Red Sea there was the promise of hope and a better life. However, the entire Sinai desert lay before them, and they were looking to Moses as their savior. After all he was the prophet to whom God spoke, and he was the one to whom God listened - right? Not quite.

"During those many days the king of Egypt died and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning and remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel - and God knew." Exodus 2:23-25

God did not "baptize" all of these people in the Red Sea so He could have a better relationship with Moses. God lead the people through the Red Sea and for forty years they walked together and learned that God did not want them to be in relationship with Moses. God wanted them to be in relationship with Himself. He walked with them, and they came to know Him better. Perhaps we should take a walk with God. After all, He's gone to a lot of trouble to take a walk with us.

Mine! Mine!! Mine!!!

When the Israelites left Egypt they were not Jews, they were not Christians, they were just children of Israel. They left Egypt because Moses offered them a way out. They were tired of being worked so hard. They were tired of never having a day off. They were tired of slavery. Not to mention the first three of the ten plagues fell on the children of Israel as well as the Egyptians. Who knew what God would do to them if they did not go. Then God began to show Himself to the children of Israel. They were lead by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Whether you believe it was the Red Sea or the Reed Sea, no ancient Cananite, or Egyptian god had ever parted water like that. No god had ever destroyed the enemies of its people the way God destroyed the armies of Pharoh. So of course when the waters crushed down upon their enemies they claimed the victory, and took their first steps to becoming Jews.

"The Lord is my strength and my song,
   and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him,
   my father's God, and I will exalt him."
Exodus 15:2

He is my strength and my song, and has become my salvation. My wife and I are expecting our first child soon, and I can't wait for the day when our child says God is mine! mine!! mine!!!